14/365 Puzzled
On New Years Eve our family puts together a jigsaw puzzle.
This year was no exception.
I brought out an array of choices.
"Go big or go home", they said.
"It will be fun", they said.
"We got this", they said.
And for the very first time we broke open a 2,000 piece puzzle.
We always begin by flipping pieces so they face up and pull out edge pieces as we go.
Some flipped, some pieced.
We were about halfway through completing the border when someone asked,
"How big IS this thing anyway?"
No one had bothered to look before we began.
24 inches by 54 inches.
That is almost half of my dining room table.
"Oh my word" may have been spoken by more than one of us.
We didn't give up, but we knew this was going to take longer than we expected.
After a few hours some were guessing how many pieces were together.
I counted.
386.
With six or seven of us working on it.
Someone did the math at the rate we were working for how long it would take to finish.
It was a long time.
I sent them a text after they all left.
Last night I was able to almost fill in one corner.
Today I noticed a grouping was in the wrong place.
I slid it to the proper place,
key connections were made,
leading to another key move and a banner event-
at least one piece is touching another all the way across the puzzle.
Life is like this puzzle.
Lots of little pieces.
Sometimes they get flipped.
It's easier if there is a border/boundary/ frame to work within.
It can be overwhelming .
It can get frustrating.
It is definitely challenging.
It can feel like it will never make sense.
Progress can be slow.
Celebrating little victories is a good thing to do.
Some of the connections I've made while doing this puzzle make absolutely no sense.
Many of the transitions are crazy.
But they fit.
They dovetail and work together.
Somehow one of the pieces from this puzzle got broken in half.
(I am guessing one of our little helpers.)
Today I figured out where it went.
Even broken, it had its place to fill.
We don't have a picture to compare where the pieces should be.
But God does.
And everytime a connection is made,
each time a piece is put into its proper place,
even the broken ones are needed,
the puzzle is one step closer to being completed.
As long as I allow God to work the little pieces of my life,
connecting them as they are supposed to be,
not arguing with Him about where I think "that piece" should go,
letting him rearrange things I have put out of place,
trusting that He sees the whole, completed picture,
life is less puzzling and frustrating to me.
One day I'll reach heaven, and life will be complete.
No more puzzling, only beauty.
Until then I just have to keep in mind,
He's still working the puzzle, and it's no puzzle to Him.
This year was no exception.
I brought out an array of choices.
"Go big or go home", they said.
"It will be fun", they said.
"We got this", they said.
And for the very first time we broke open a 2,000 piece puzzle.
We always begin by flipping pieces so they face up and pull out edge pieces as we go.
Some flipped, some pieced.
We were about halfway through completing the border when someone asked,
"How big IS this thing anyway?"
No one had bothered to look before we began.
24 inches by 54 inches.
That is almost half of my dining room table.
"Oh my word" may have been spoken by more than one of us.
We didn't give up, but we knew this was going to take longer than we expected.
After a few hours some were guessing how many pieces were together.
I counted.
386.
With six or seven of us working on it.
Someone did the math at the rate we were working for how long it would take to finish.
It was a long time.
I sent them a text after they all left.
"Go big or go home", you said.
Meanwhile, I'm sitting here by myself with this monster.
Y'all went big, then you went home.
I have been working on it, a little almost every day.
Last night I was able to almost fill in one corner.
Today I noticed a grouping was in the wrong place.
I slid it to the proper place,
key connections were made,
leading to another key move and a banner event-
at least one piece is touching another all the way across the puzzle.
Life is like this puzzle.
Lots of little pieces.
Sometimes they get flipped.
It's easier if there is a border/boundary/ frame to work within.
It can be overwhelming .
It can get frustrating.
It is definitely challenging.
It can feel like it will never make sense.
Progress can be slow.
Celebrating little victories is a good thing to do.
Some of the connections I've made while doing this puzzle make absolutely no sense.
Many of the transitions are crazy.
But they fit.
They dovetail and work together.
Somehow one of the pieces from this puzzle got broken in half.
(I am guessing one of our little helpers.)
Today I figured out where it went.
Even broken, it had its place to fill.
We don't have a picture to compare where the pieces should be.
But God does.
And everytime a connection is made,
each time a piece is put into its proper place,
even the broken ones are needed,
the puzzle is one step closer to being completed.
As long as I allow God to work the little pieces of my life,
connecting them as they are supposed to be,
not arguing with Him about where I think "that piece" should go,
letting him rearrange things I have put out of place,
trusting that He sees the whole, completed picture,
life is less puzzling and frustrating to me.
One day I'll reach heaven, and life will be complete.
No more puzzling, only beauty.
Until then I just have to keep in mind,
He's still working the puzzle, and it's no puzzle to Him.
Current situation on the monster puzzle:
the percentage of pieces left without any connection.
Maybe by Valentines Day it will be done.
And we already decided, we ain't doin' this size puzzle agin!
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